In general, the present invention relates to a recording/playback apparatus, a recording/playback method, a presentation medium and a recording medium. More particularly, the present invention relates to a recording/playback apparatus, a recording/playback method, a presentation medium and a recording medium that are capable of recording data by distinguishing overwrite recording from append recording.
Data already recorded on a recording medium such as an optical disc or a magnetic disc can be erased to allow new data to be recorded on the same area as the erased data. That is to say, an overwrite recording can be carried out. In this way, unnecessary data can be erased and only necessary data can be recorded, allowing the recording area of the recording medium to be utilized efficiently.
In addition, in order to prevent recorded data from being erased by mistake, normally, each of these discs has a notch provided typically on the case thereof and used for selecting whether to disable or enable an operation to record new data onto the disc. To be more specific, by switching the notch to a recording-operation disabling position, an operation to newly record other data over data already recorded on the disc can be inhibited.
As described above, an operation to newly record other data over data already recorded on the disc can be inhibited by switching the notch to the recording-operation disabling position. Once the notch is switched to the recording-operation disabling position, however, data can no longer be recorded onto the disc even if an unrecorded area still remains on the disc, raising a problem of an inability to use the recording area of the disc efficiently.
It is an object of the present invention addressing the problem described above to prevent a recording operation from being carried out by mistake and to use the recording area of the disc efficiently.
A recording apparatus according to claim 1 is characterized in that the apparatus comprises:
an append-recording specifying means for specifying whether or not a recording operation to append data to a recording medium is allowed;
a specification judging means for forming a judgment on a specification indicated by the append-recording specifying means; and
a control means for controlling an operation to record data onto the recording medium in accordance with a result of a judgment formed by the specification judging means.
A recording method to claim 4 is characterized in that the method comprises:
an append recording specifying step of specifying whether or not a recording operation to append data to a recording medium is allowed;
a specification judging step of forming a judgment on a specification indicated at the append recording specifying step;
a control step of controlling an operation to record data onto the recording medium in accordance with a result of a judgment formed at the specification judging step.
A presentation medium according to claim 5 is characterized in that the medium is used for presenting a program to be executed by a recording apparatus for carrying out processing including:
an append recording specifying step of specifying whether or not a recording operation to append data to a recording medium is allowed;
a specification judging step of forming a judgment on a specification indicated at the append recording specifying step; and
a control step of controlling an operation to record data onto the recording medium in accordance with a result of a judgment formed at the specification judging step.
A recording medium according to claim 6 is characterized that the medium includes recorded append-recording information indicating whether or not a recording operation to append data to the medium is allowed.
In the recording apparatus according to claim 1, the recording method according to claim 4 and the presentation medium according to claim 5, a judgment as to whether or not an append-recording operation is allowed is formed and an operation to record data onto a recording medium is controlled in accordance with a result of the judgment.
On the recording medium according to claim 6, information on append recording indicating whether or not an append-recording operation is allowed is recorded.